Has anyone been following this? Starbucks baristas engaging customers in a "racial dialogue" while placing their order. So you pay $4 for a cup of coffee AND get a lecture on White Privilage... And how long did this last??

Starbucks baristas will no longer write Race Together on customers' cups starting Sunday, ending as planned a visible component of the company's diversity and racial inequality campaign that had sparked widespread criticism in the week since it took effect.

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Last thing I need is a 24 year old who’s life experience is “living in mom’s basement” and “college dorms” trying to 'enlighten" me about race in America.

Pour my fucking coffee, take this tip and STFU. These people dont’ even put the cream or sugar in for you. Jesus. [/quote]

You tip barista’s (I’m thinking Starbucks to go coffee not being served at a table here)?

Also, ya, I don’t give a shit what your middle class mom and dad or your liberal arts professor thinks about race… I care about whether you can fulfill my extremely simple coffee order without fucking it up.

The funniest thing about this is that the progressives went just as crazy over it. “Capitalism masquerading as social consciousness,” “appropriation,” etc.

Usually, I think that if you rankle both sides, you’ve done something right. This seems to be the exception. A fatuous idea in every respect.

Also, I’m not a fan of coffee snobs. I enjoy coffee in hotels, in doctor’s office waiting rooms. But Starbucks really does taste like shit. The only coffee I’ve ever disliked more is the super-sweet, iced mud you get in Vietnam. They make up for it with pho though.

I’m not a fan of Starbucks coffee either. I do like their new Blonde roast more so than their other blend (or blends?). Best coffee I ever had was in the New York New-York Hotel and casino in Vegas. One of the restaurants (Italian I think) had phenomenal coffee.

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
I’m not a fan of Starbucks coffee either. I do like their new Blonde roast more so than their other blend (or blends?). Best coffee I ever had was in the New York New-York Hotel and casino in Vegas. One of the restaurants (Italian I think) had phenomenal coffee. [/quote]

Best I’ve ever had is in Pawling, New York. Without equal – not in NYC, not in Paris. I implore anybody who finds himself in the area (and by that I mean within 50 miles) to visit McKinney and Doyle on a weekend for breakfast.

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
I’m not a fan of Starbucks coffee either. I do like their new Blonde roast more so than their other blend (or blends?). Best coffee I ever had was in the New York New-York Hotel and casino in Vegas. One of the restaurants (Italian I think) had phenomenal coffee. [/quote]

Best I’ve ever had is in Pawling, New York. Without equal – not in NYC, not in Paris. I implore anybody who finds himself in the area (and by that I mean within 50 miles) to visit McKinney and Doyle on a weekend for breakfast.[/quote]

You tip barista’s (I’m thinking Starbucks to go coffee not being served at a table here)?

[/quote]

When I pay in cash, yes. As the son of a server… I am a very generous tipper, to anyone that will take it. [/quote]

Likewise (well, I’m not the son of a server, but dated one for a couple years and was generally horrified at how poorly people tipped her; who the fuck goes out for a $100-plus dinner and leaves $3 tip?)

Starbucks or a coffee shop, my rule of thumb is “whatever the loose change is” - figure that generally evens out over time, whether it’s 11 cents or 42 cents or 75 cents.

Restaurants, I tend to be very generous (15 percent even if they screwed something up, 20 percent if their service was at least passable, 25 percent if they were noticeably above average).

You tip barista’s (I’m thinking Starbucks to go coffee not being served at a table here)?

[/quote]

When I pay in cash, yes. As the son of a server… I am a very generous tipper, to anyone that will take it. [/quote]

Likewise (well, I’m not the son of a server, but dated one for a couple years and was generally horrified at how poorly people tipped her; who the fuck goes out for a $100-plus dinner and leaves $3 tip?)

Starbucks or a coffee shop, my rule of thumb is “whatever the loose change is” - figure that generally evens out over time, whether it’s 11 cents or 42 cents or 75 cents.

Restaurants, I tend to be very generous (15 percent even if they screwed something up, 20 percent if their service was at least passable, 25 percent if they were noticeably above average).[/quote]

Yup. And if the bartender is generous with the pours I tend to get damn right philanthropic.

Last time I was NYC, I finally found a bar that had Middletons’. The bartender and I became fast friends. After two glasses of that, he gave me the rest of my regular Jameson for free. I gave him $60 on a $100 tab lol. I love that man, and he loves me.

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
Restaurants I’m usually around 15%-20% as well. I’ve never even thought about tipping at a coffee shop though (unless I’m being served). [/quote]

It’s not a huge deal, lol. I don’t think it makes you a bad person. But if you see one of those little tip jars sitting there, it doesn’t hurt to at least drop the loose change (hell, if you’re a real tightwad, keep the quarters and leave the dimes, nickels and pennies, haha).

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
Restaurants I’m usually around 15%-20% as well. I’ve never even thought about tipping at a coffee shop though (unless I’m being served). [/quote]

It’s not a huge deal, lol. I don’t think it makes you a bad person. But if you see one of those little tip jars sitting there, it doesn’t hurt to at least drop the loose change (hell, if you’re a real tightwad, keep the quarters and leave the dimes, nickels and pennies, haha).[/quote]

Lol, no I’ve got no problem tipping (I am a bit of a tight wade though, lol). Sometimes I do throw the change in the jar. The thought literally just never occurred to me.

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
Restaurants I’m usually around 15%-20% as well. I’ve never even thought about tipping at a coffee shop though (unless I’m being served). [/quote]

It’s not a huge deal, lol. I don’t think it makes you a bad person. But if you see one of those little tip jars sitting there, it doesn’t hurt to at least drop the loose change (hell, if you’re a real tightwad, keep the quarters and leave the dimes, nickels and pennies, haha).[/quote]

Lol, no I’ve got no problem tipping (I am a bit of a tight wade though, lol). Sometimes I do throw the change in the jar. The thought literally just never occurred to me. [/quote]

I am a generous tipper in restaurants and bars, but tipping at Starbucks is just not in me. I don’t get complex double-shot-half-calf-frothy-jack-offs, just a simple espresso. I don’t think packing, slapping in place, and pushing a button merits a tip. Espresso is quick and low labor by design, and a 'Bucks espresso is not that great anyways.

Something new I see around here with tipping, where the tip is already calculated for you in the bill. Two options of 15 or 20%, and the dollar amounts listed next to them, and you are expected to choose at the register. So as you stand there debating what to do, you have the cashier standing in front of you with the raised eyebrow and tapping foot, making it seem most awkward.

Frankly, if I’m walking up to a counter and ordering something, I’m not giving a tip. If I’m sitting down and they bring it to me, I’m very generous. At the counter, I’m not being “served”, I’m making a purchase. Big difference in my little brain. Unless they know me well enough that they have my order ready for me when I walk up to the counter - that’s above and beyond and deserves a tip. But just an average point of sale cup of coffee? Nah…

I dated a girl who called Starbucks “the evil empire” and refused to buy coffee from them. LOL I think they bit off more than they could chew - especially when the VP took his twitter account down. All they accomplished is making themselves look like a buncha bitches.